In motor vehicles, it is known to provide coverings, such as trim panels, carpeting, and headliners, on interior surfaces within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In addition to providing a finished appearance to the interior the vehicle, such coverings also conceal and protect the wiring harnesses, ductwork, and functional components of the vehicle systems that are provided in and around the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
In the case of trim panels, and especially in the case of substantially rigid trim panels, it is necessary to securely fasten the trim panel to the underlying vehicle structure. In most cases, the fastening structures utilized to connect a trim panel to the vehicle structure should minimize or eliminate motion of the trim panel with respect to the vehicle structure.
Fastening structures for trim panels are known that are themselves concealed by the trim panel. One common design includes a post that is formed on an inner surface of the trim panel. The post is received in an aperture that is defined through the vehicle structure, or through a bracket that is connected to the vehicle structure. The post itself may be formed to resiliently engage the area adjacent to the aperture to secure the trim panel to the vehicle structure, or a spring clip may be placed on the post for this purpose.
In such a fastening structure, the tendency of the post to pivot within the aperture can be overcome by providing a sufficiently large surface at the base of the post that engages the area around the aperture. However, where the panel in question is narrow, provision of such a surface is rendered difficult. One example of such a panel is the A-pillar (or front structural pillar) of a vehicle, which is necessarily narrow and elongate. In an A-pillar, there is limited area in a direction transverse to the long dimension of the pillar to provide engagement between the pillar and the trim panel. When vehicle components, such as an airbag, a wiring harness, or a fluid duct, must be routed through a hollow cavity defined between the pillar and the trim panel, there may be little engagement area in the transverse direction.
It would be desirable to provide an attachment assembly that resists rotation of a trim panel with respect to a vehicle structure while allowing routing of vehicle components therebetween.